<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>New Dawn by babesrgrs</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883627">New Dawn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/babesrgrs/pseuds/babesrgrs'>babesrgrs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Future is Now [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Other, Post-Endgame, Self-cest, Time Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:27:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/babesrgrs/pseuds/babesrgrs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The future as Steve knew it: fighting flying aliens, fighting Hydra again, fighting for Bucky, taking himself as a lover, fighting a corrupt government... </p><p>Wait - <i>what</i>?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Future is Now [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>New Dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm likely making things difficult for myself for putting this out without having much idea where exactly I'm going with this, but. I kinda promised this weeks ago, so! Hope you like it :) Not betaed nor a stand-alone.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve felt relaxed and refreshed for the first time since waking up in the future and that was a feat in itself taking into consideration that he hadn't slept that much last night.</p><p>He'd expected he might have felt ashamed or at least a little out of sorts but that feeling never came.  Instead, walking to the communal kitchen alongside the older version of himself was nice, the air between them filled with an easy camaraderie. The only weird thing the whole morning had been when they had stood shoulder to shoulder in front of a mirror and for the first time really seen how identical they actually were. The older Steve had combed his hair slightly differently, but otherwise, the only thing that really separated them apart from clothes was the high-tech clock the other Steve had on his wrist that he never took off.</p><p>When they got to the kitchen Tony greeted them: ”Finally! I thought geriatrics were early to rise.” </p><p>Steve thought even yesterday he'd have at least rolled his eyes at Tony's jibes but today he had nothing else on offer than a genuine smile and a 'good morning'.</p><p>Weirdly enough, that seemed to shut Tony up much more efficiently than giving back ever had. </p><p>”There's coffee for you both,” Natasha said. ”Thor is at Doctor Foster's.”</p><p>”And Clint?” Steve asked, noting the archer was missing as well.</p><p>”Busy,” Natasha said. At that, she seemed to exchange a look with the other Steve. Steve didn't know if it meant something or not: due to his advantage in age over them, the other Steve had a lot of knowledge about them all, not just Steve.</p><p>Steve clamped down violently on the thought about all the kinds of knowledge the older Steve had of him. </p><p>And anyway, that had been a two-way street. He might not have had sexual experience to speak of but he knew his own body. He knew the other Steve's body. He knew now also where they had minuscule differences: the older man had for example the lightest of scars on his stomach. It was placed differently than the wound Steve took in the fight a couple of days ago, so Steve assumed that wouldn't scar. Few things left a permanent mark on him, so it had to have been something serious.</p><p>Steve blinked a few times when he realized he had lost some time and missed what had been said around him. The other Steve set down a coffee in front of him. ”Let's talk about this after breakfast, in the living room?” The man addressed Tony.</p><p>”Sure. Whatever,” Tony said.</p><p>Steve tried to observe if there was anything different with Tony after the other Steve had broken him the news about Bucky and his parents. He did look tired but not manic or wild. Steve hoped he could get to speak to Tony alone at some point. He didn't know if Tony would appreciate that, but he was concerned about him and how this knowledge reflected on Bucky.</p><p>Soon a sandwich was placed in front of him next to the coffee. Steve thanked his counterpart. He was sure he could have found all the relevant ingredients and utensils himself, but he was glad he didn't have to try to guess which one of the different bottles and jars in the fridge contained something edible, especially when there was an audience.</p><p>”First I thought having your double around would be really distracting, but now I'm kinda envious,” Bruce noted.</p><p>”You think so?” Tony asked.</p><p>”Just think about how seamless working in a lab would be.”</p><p>Tony hmmed. Natasha smiled: ”Well, I'm glad we only have one Hulk, and I kind of dread the idea of having two Starks in the lab.”</p><p>”How about two Natashas?” Bruce asked. Natasha laughed.</p><p>”I don't know if you could handle it. I don't know if I could.”</p><p>”But to be able to be in two places at the same time,” the other Steve suggested, ”you could take an extended vacation while the other handled your responsibilities. Start a hobby.”</p><p>”Is that what you two are planning to do?” She asked.</p><p>Steve raised his eyebrows. ”I think I'll be me for now.”</p><p>For the next minute, Steve concentrated on his food until he noticed there was a lull in the conversation around him. Looking up he noticed everybody staring at him and the other Steve. He turned to look at him and realized they were both holding their sandwiches the exact same way, chewing on a bite in the exact same rhythm.</p><p>”That's uncanny,” Bruce commented.</p><p>”Is it like that all the time for you boys?” Nathasha asked, smirking in that amused way she had. ”Doing things identically? Bumping into one another while going about your business? Arguing over who gets to sleep on the right side of the bed?”</p><p>Here we go, Steve thought. He could understand it, making fun of your teammates – that was important for the group dynamic and Steve was the perfect target: while he wasn't the leader of the Avengers, he was probably the closest they had to one. And he was also, at least he thought so, the odd man out. From Natasha, the teasing was an act of friendship. This alternate-version thing was also probably an irresistible opportunity for anyone with an improper sense of humor.</p><p>”Actually, I prefer the left side,” the older Steve answered, good-humoredly.</p><p>”So you shared last night?” Bruce asked. ”I'm sure there are enough rooms here if you want separate ones. I know it's hard to wrap your mind around the whole time-traveler thing, but you are different persons which means the need for your own space.”</p><p>Steve shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it. ”I don't mind sharing. That's been my life so long now, with the army and the war. It's comfortable.”</p><p>”How about you?” Tony addressed the other Steve. ”I assume you've gotten used to the luxury of personal space?”</p><p>Smiling cheerfully he shook his head. ”It's fine for me. I've definitely had worse bed-partners.”</p><p>Steve was glad he wasn't drinking anything just then for he might have choked on it. Nevertheless, he decided to play along. ”Remember how Bucky used to hog the covers?”</p><p>The other Steve turned to him with a grin. ”Yeah, and then he would overheat and sweat all over you.”</p><p>That was overselling it a bit, but in general true enough. Steve had woken up in a shared tent several times with Bucky glued to his side with sweat, but it was probably as much due to Steve's own body heat than to Bucky stealing the covers.</p><p>”Who'd have known the war effort was this merry and gay,” Tony remarked dryly and Steve thought it was a testament to the resilience Tony had that he could joke about anything that had to do with Bucky. </p><p>Also, while Steve had been the one who put the implication out there in the first place, they hadn't really ever been like that with Bucky. They had been very close, especially growing up, physically as well as mentally, but not like lovers. Not really.</p><p>Steve had of course thought Bucky attractive, everybody did, but apart from a confused year in his teens, he hadn't been seriously in love with him or anything. There had been that one time they had kissed and then some, but they'd been young and drunk and living in each other's pockets, basically.</p><p>It had been inevitable.</p><p>They hadn't been like that during the war. Not really. Steve had been in love with Peggy, and just like before, he and Buck weren't looking for anything like that with each other. They loved each other, but not like that. They had taken comfort sleeping next to one another, but that was all.</p><p>Of course, there was the one time when they'd had some downtime and Bucky was drunk and gotten a bit too friendly, but Steve had gently put an end to that. Eventually.</p><p>The thing was, though, that Steve found it surprising he could joke about it and joke about Buck in the first place. Bucky had been so close to him and losing him had been an open wound and talking about him hadn't seemed possible – until now. Bucky, no matter what else had been done to him, was alive. That was everything.</p><p>After breakfast, they convened in the living room as planned. JARVIS had gone through what files he had copied from the SHIELD databases in search of any mention of cryogenic containment or the assassin Winter Soldier or Bucky Barnes.</p><p>”As of now I have found no mention of cryopreservation for human life, but with extended parameters, I have found recurring paper trails of large amounts of nitrogen being transported to an unknown destination in Siberia, current-day Russia. Nitrogen has several uses, but it's a key component in cryogenics,” Jarvis noted.</p><p>”That's expected. There are five additional serumed soldiers in ice there,” the other Steve said.</p><p>”What?” Bruce asked, alarmed, reflecting the reaction of most everybody in the room.</p><p>The older Steve sighed, somberly he explained: ”One point of obsession for Hydra has always been the super-soldier serum. Arnim Zola injected Bucky with a version of it in 1943. The SSR, a precursor for SHIELD, led by Peggy Carter and Tony's father Howard, had my blood in their possession. I understand they fought for it with Hydra. Like I mentioned before, SSR had recruited Arnim Zola to work for them as a part of the operation Paperclip and due to his influence Hydra started to fester inside the organization. I've understood that Howard had the serum with him and that it is why Hydra killed him,” at this he paused his explanation and look at Tony questioningly. Tony nodded. ”It wasn't an accident what happened to Tony's parents, but Hydra's assassination. They used Bucky.”</p><p>”Jesus,” Bruce said.</p><p>”They used the serum they stole to create five more supersoldiers. They were unpredictable, though,  and as such, they weren't used like Bucky was and were put to indefinite cryo-sleep.”</p><p>While the rest of them were digesting that Steve asked if it wasn't possible that Bucky was kept in Siberia as well.</p><p>”I don't think so. I can't be sure at this current time, but in 2014 he was being kept stateside, and I suspect that since they are using him so often, he's probably not transported to Siberia every time. Upon visiting the place in 2016 it felt long since abandoned. Natasha, you met him in 2009, didn't you?”</p><p>”In Ukraine, yes. Outside Odessa.”</p><p>”Jarvis, can you check through the data if there isn't any information about that operation? Nat, you were extracting a nuclear engineer from Iran?”</p><p>”Yes. Dr. Ghazi Madani. He had worked with the IAEA before SHIELD got whiff that he was being coerced by the FSB to defect.”</p><p>”There is a file on the extraction, but nothing on the shadow operation,” Jarvis said. ”Looking through transportation logs shows that there were two flights out of Odessa that day. One medical flight to New York – that is undoubtedly you, Agent Romanov – and one without any further flight details to New Jersey.”</p><p>”New Jersey?” Tony asked with a grimace. ”What the hell's in New Jersey?”</p><p>Steve caught his counterpart's eye. ”Son of a bitch,” he said.</p><p>”Care to share with the class?” Tony remarked.</p><p>Steve said: ”That's Camp Lehigh, right? The SSR started there.”</p><p>The older Steve nodded. ”Yeah. I was there in 2014 – Arnim Zola has a computerized version of himself there. I didn't realize they had kept Bucky there as well.”</p><p>”Computerized, what?” Tony asked.</p><p>”Arnim Zola downloaded his mind into a computer in the 70s before he died.”</p><p>”I thought that was a pipe dream, much like time-traveling,” Bruce said.</p><p>Older Steve shrugged. ”I assume Howard helped with that.”</p><p>”Could we use that? There's got to be real evidence about Hydra's influence inside SHIELD in the Zola computer, right?” Natasha pointed out.</p><p>”Well,” Tony said. ”Jarvis hacked SHIELD in minutes, I'm sure he can go toe to toe with an artificial intelligence from the seventies. Even if my dad had his hands on it.”</p><p> </p><p>They planned to raid the bunker the night of the following day. Clint would be back by then and Thor would still be on Earth, having planned to return to Asgard only later during the week. Natasha and Clint had been called to check in at SHIELD and they could follow the situation inside the organization. Trusting Thor would join them, both Steves and Tony would sneak inside the Camp Lehigh bunker, collect information, and free Bucky. Bruce would stay behind overseeing the operation and as a backup.</p><p>The other Steve seemed to be content with having them all be a part of this.</p><p>”I had doubts at first,” he confessed later that evening when they had retired to Steve's rooms. ”Especially about Tony. This whole thing went very differently in my time and apart from Nat and Sam I was alone.”</p><p>”What happened? And who's Sam?” Steve asked, not really expecting that the other Steve would give exhaustive answers. He seemed sometimes uncomfortable volunteering information, fearing it would mess things up in Steve's timeline.</p><p>” Me and Nat were on the run,” the older Steve explained, surprisingly blunt. He took a sip from his beer he was nursing on the sofa. ”Hydra had already decided I was too dangerous to them. The Avengers were scattered at that point. Tony didn't find about his parents until much later under rough circumstances and it didn't go down that well. Tony now seems, weirdly enough, more levelheaded than Tony then. I think he developed some issues after all this, the recent battle and him nearly dying in space. I don't know. Maybe it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him.”</p><p>Steve took that in. Stark did have a temperament and a bit of a mean streak, but Steve had seen that he wasn't all bluster. Hell, Steve himself had a temperament and a bit of a mean streak, even if he liked to think he lacked the ego Stark had cultivated for himself.</p><p>”And Sam?” Steve tried.</p><p>The other man gave him an amused look. ”There're some things you have to find out yourself.”</p><p>Steve shrugged. ”Well, if things are so different already, who's to say I will ever meet this person?”</p><p>The other Steve looked taken aback, almost as if not meeting Sam was an unfathomable option. Then he said: ”He's a paramedic in the Air Force. Returning from Afghanistan around these times. Sam Wilson, check him out. The best man you'll ever meet.”</p><p>”He's... special to you?” Steve ventured.</p><p>The other Steve smiled. ”Yeah, he's special.”</p><p>”Special like – ?”</p><p>”Oh,” the other man said, laughed. ”No. No, not like that. I mean, he's cute as hell, but not into men. Or not into me, at least,” he deliberated.</p><p>”You ever asked him?” Steve asked. The older man hadn't disclosed if he had somebody, if he was or had been in a serious relationship, and Steve couldn't help but be extremely curious about it. It was hard to see anything like that in his own future, but here he had a man who had gone through all he had and who seemed less restless at least, if not completely content.</p><p>The other Steve grinned, obviously having made his peace with whatever it was or wasn't with him and Sam. ”I tried to flirt with him the first time I met him. He invited me to come meet him in the VA. Turned out he was just concerned over me. Wanted to help me. Well. He did.”</p><p>”Anyone else?” Steve tried.</p><p>”Listen,” the other Steve started to explain. ”I can't boast of having had much luck in love. It doesn't have to go like that with you, if that's what you are asking. But I remember how it felt after waking up. How it still feels. How me and Peggy ended – how you and Peggy ended. She liked me when I was nothing and I... when she punched Hodge... Who could not fall for her? And maybe you can get over something like that but to be honest, the feeling of being out of place doesn't really ever go away. Sam once said it might not just be the time jump but the war,” here the other man paused, lost in his thoughts. Then: ”I'm sorry I can't promise you a great love in your future. But ten years... that's not really a long time. And I can promise you great friendships in your near future and that's more than enough.”</p><p>Steve wasn't really surprised. He hadn't been looking for so long now it didn't really matter that much to him. Losing Peggy seemed a sign that romantic life just wasn't for him. Also, he thought, had the other Steve been in a committed relationship, would he have fooled around with a younger version of himself? Steve knew part of the reason he'd been so ready for it had been the loneliness. It probably was for the other Steve as well.</p><p>Of course, the other part of the reason was that for all his lack of practice Steve had a high libido and the other Steve had a presence about him that drew Steve to him, even if knew rationally that the other Steve was basically himself. It was like a better version of himself: a bit wiser, funnier and more secure in himself. Steve thought this was one of those not sure if you wanted them or if you wanted to be them scenarios.</p><p>He didn't really care to feel bad about that. He felt bad about so many other things, already. And whenever he started to doubt what they'd done – and that did happen – he thought telling Tony about it and how it would be worth it to just see his head explode.</p><p>He knew he'd said just one night last night, but to be honest, he hadn't really thought much else the whole day.</p><p>He watched the other Steve finish his beer.</p><p>Then he asked: ”Wanna go to bed?”</p><p> </p><p>”We really need to sleep,” the other Steve said, lying naked and recently sated underneath him.</p><p>”Yeah?” he asked against the other man's bare stomach.</p><p>”Jesus,” he answered.</p><p>”Yeah,” Steve said and went down on him.</p><p> </p><p>They did sleep, but it was late when they woke up. Steve untangled himself from the other man and once again tried to decide if he was feeling remorse about last night.</p><p>”Regrets?” The other man asked, eyes still closed.</p><p>”Not really. I guess I'm distantly concerned that this doesn't feel weird. The very least this seems like the sort of thing that should only happen once.”</p><p>The other Steve snorted. ”Buddy, it wasn't once even the first time around.”</p><p>Steve felt his body react with interest just at that, the offhand reminder about how long they could go on. He was doomed. All the same, he laughed. ”Just – think what anyone would say if they knew. Captain America, having a torrid affair with himself. Christ. Think what Bucky would say.”</p><p>”The rest I don't really care about. Bucky, I don't know. Maybe he'd be scandalized for a second but then he'd sock anybody who dared to imply there was anything wrong with it.”</p><p>That was true. ”There's nobody like him. I feel so low about what's done to him.”</p><p>”We'll get him back tonight,” the other Steve promised.</p><p>”Yes. We will.”</p><p> </p><p>The team convened once and went through the plan before Natasha and Clint headed for SHIELD. After, the rest of them observed the situation in the Camp Lehigh locale through Stark satellite imagery. Mostly abandoned, there wasn't anyone visibly guarding it but sound imaging revealed seven people in the underground compound that hid the Zola computer and hopefully Bucky. They had a rough map of the sublevel based on the satellite imaging but it didn't detect the location of the assumed cryochamber. Their best bet was an underground wing the other Steve didn't remember being in when he and Natasha had visited the place.</p><p>Steve had tried and failed to find an organic moment when he and Tony would have been alone so when the hours crawled past he finally asked him to step aside with him.</p><p>”Oh my God. Not you, too,” Tony moaned.</p><p>Steve blinked. ”I know you have talked with him, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd come with me. Just for a moment.”</p><p>Tony rolled his eyes in a needlessly elaborate fashion but followed Steve all the same.</p><p>In the kitchen with just the two of them, Steve suddenly found himself lost for words. How did you bring something like this up? He didn't really know Tony that well. He didn't know how to handle him.</p><p>”Well?” Tony asked. ”Unless you wanted to ask me hints for kinky sexual practices, I don't think I'm interested.”</p><p>Steve <i>didn't blush</i>. He knew Tony was trying to phase him, this was what he had expected. Yet.</p><p>”Can't you cut it out?”</p><p>Tony raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything more.</p><p>”I get that this is difficult for you – ”</p><p>”If you mean this talk, then yes, this is. Going to free my parents' killer weirdly enough isn't.”</p><p>Steve wasn't sure if Tony was being sarcastic but the blip way he was talking ate at his resolve. He did know that he had to tread carefully. ”It's not?”</p><p>Tony sighed. Then, at last serious, he said: ”Look, Cap. Steve. I know what you think about me, but you don't need to treat me like I will lose it any minute. I know what he was made to do. I know it's not his fault. I know – what he means to you. Can you trust me enough to believe that I will do my best not to hurt him?” <i>To hurt you</i> seemed to be included in the sentiment.</p><p>Steve remembered what the other Steve had said about Tony and keeping an eye on him, but his instincts led him to believe Tony in this.</p><p>”I can,” Steve said.</p><p>”Ok, great.”</p><p>They stood there in a slightly strained silence for a moment. Steve wondered if he should have tried to shake Tony's hand, but that seemed too formal. Tony seemed to be watching him carefully, almost suspiciously. Steve crossed his arms on his chest. ”Well then,” he said. ”I've nothing else.” He turned around and went back to the conference room. </p><p> </p><p>It was surreal going back to Camp Lehigh and not any less so having the companions he had with him: a Norse god, Howard's son in a robotic suit, and his future self. </p><p>The intel Tony had gathered was good and they were quick to disable the brigade of guards. As planned, he and Thor took finding Bucky as their mission, the older Steve and Tony were left with Zola.</p><p>With the map memorized Steve and Thor found a massive steel door leading hopefully to a part of the facility, they kept Bucky in. They had no control of the opening mechanism but even the toughest doors yielded under their combined strength. Steve knew forcing their way in most likely triggered an alarm if one hadn't been triggered already, but the success of their operation was dependent on doing their parts as fast and efficiently as possible.</p><p>Steve and Thor were running now, Steve holding a flare to light the otherwise dark and empty corridor. They kicked open every door on the way until what seemed to Steve like a touch screen next to an electric door piqued his interest. The place generally was more or less older with its technology, in relative terms, but this seemed to Steve like something he might have come across in the Stark Tower.</p><p>”I think there's something important behind,” Steve noted to Thor.</p><p>Thor nodded and after a short inspection raised his hammer and electrocuted the apparatus. Short circuited, the door cracked open.</p><p>”Primitive,” Thor muttered.</p><p>Walking inside it became quickly clear they were in a chamber of sorts, too big to light completely just from the flare. Steve threw it where he thought the center of the room might be.</p><p>Hitting something in mid-air the flair dropped on the ground.</p><p>The red-colored light revealed a big liquid-filled container in the middle of the room. Steve felt his heart start to beat harder. If he wasn't mistaken, he saw a glimpse of a bare leg in the fuzzy liquid.</p><p>Silently praying he approached the vat. He picked the flare from the ground and with a shaking hand lifted it up. </p><p><i>Jesus Christ</i>, he thought when he saw him. He was bulkier than he remembered with long hair and pale skin and – a metal arm, but it was him.</p><p>It was Bucky.</p><p>”We have to get him out,” Steve heard himself call out. Thor summoned a mild electric current and walked to the console with the light it emitted.</p><p>Steve heard Thor pull different levers and soon a low hum started to reverberate in the room, a sign of the machinery being turned on.</p><p>Steve wondered if he shouldn't have gone and try to help Thor, but of the two of them he was the technologically challenged one and anyway, he couldn't take his eyes off his best friend in the world, unconscious behind a glass.</p><p>Just when looking at him became almost too much, Bucky opened his eyes.</p><p>There was a moment of complete silence where they stared at one another, Steve with his heart in his throat until Bucky pulled the oxygen mask off his face and started to scream. He punched the glass with his metal fist but it didn't break – </p><p>Steve used his shield to hit the glass from the outside with barely making a crack to it. The next blow he used everything he had and with an awful sound, the glass broke into a million pieces, the liquid landing in a wave over Steve. He didn't care, he just put his arms forward to catch Bucky.</p><p>It was a five-second period where everything was alright, where he was supporting most of Bucky's weight as the man gathered his bearings.</p><p>Then, of course, all went to hell.</p><p> </p><p>It was so fast Steve was completely taken by surprise even with his superhuman reflexes. One moment they were almost embracing, the next Bucky had ducked underneath his arm and behind his back and taken him into a chokehold.</p><p>The metal arm tightening around his throat Steve could practically feel how the blood was cut from his brain and how his vision started to blur. He took a step to the side and with a silent apology aimed to elbow Bucky into the groin – it was an underhand move but not lethal. When the hit landed Bucky groaned and relaxed the hold just enough that Steve was able to slip away. </p><p>Free, he took several quick steps back, wanting to avoid any further escalation of violence.</p><p>He extended his hand to signal Thor not to attack. </p><p>”I'm not here to hurt you,” he said to Bucky. </p><p>That seemed to make no difference to the dripping, half-naked man staring at them both wildly. He was clearly on high alert, trying to make up his mind which one of them to attack first.</p><p>Perhaps judging Steve to be an easier target, he suddenly advanced and barged right into Steve, shoulder to Steve's chest, taking him down.</p><p>”Bucky! It's me, Steve,” Steve tried while grappling with his brainwashed best friend on the ground. He didn't want to hurt him, but Bucky was not giving an inch, and being completely defensive was impossible to maintain.</p><p>Coming to help, Thor grabbed Bucky from behind and wrenched him away from Steve. In the short respite Steve's commlink came to life.</p><p>”There's an incoming missile, ETA five minutes, you have to get out of there. Do you have him?” The other Steve asked through the link.</p><p>”It's a work in progress,” Steve answered, simultaneously dodging Bucky trying to kick him in the face while being held by Thor.</p><p>”Do you need help?” The other Steve asked.</p><p>”We don't have time to go find them,” Tony buzzed in.</p><p>”Go, we'll handle this,” Steve said.</p><p>Steve saw Bucky flick his head back to hit Thor in his face and by the sound of it, he hit him perfectly.</p><p>”<i>Bölthorn</i>,” Thor cursed, or so Steve interpreted the expression.</p><p>While Thor still had a grip around Bucky's torso Steve tried to get a hold of his legs: it didn't seem like Bucky was going to come quietly so they had to try to subdue him and carry him if it came to that.</p><p>Steve had to give it to Bucky, he was a menace. They were the two of them, a super soldier and a powerful alien god, struggling to control him. Steve tried to adjust his hold and this time did get a foot to his face. He was sure something broke but through the eye-splitting pain he held on. </p><p>”We can't carry him away like this, not in a couple of minutes,” he voiced his worry to Thor.</p><p>”Do you want me to electrocute him?” Thor offered through gritted teeth. </p><p>Bucky did seem to understand that since he began to fight against their hold even worse than before – something Steve didn't think was possible. </p><p>”I'm thinking that's a no!” he yelled at Thor.</p><p>”Take a good hold of him and me, if you can,” Thor said then and freed one of his hands, keeping the other around Bucky.</p><p>Steve didn't see the trouble to point out that having a good hold of Bucky had kinda been what he had been doing this whole time but instead did his best to shift closer so that they were almost in a weird three-way hug. This time Bucky hit them both with one whip of his head.</p><p>Blood in his mouth Steve asked: ”What are you going to do?”</p><p>Thor answered by lifting his hammer and slinging it towards the door: it took off like a rocket, taking all three of them with it.</p><p>The short flight through the corridor wasn't smooth, Steve's legs dragging on the ground, but it was fast. With a mighty blow they got through the steel door that had fallen closed again. They landed in the atrium of the underground level, barely keeping upright. Without a warning, Thor led them similarly to the elevator. As expected, the elevator was up. </p><p>”Stark! You up?” Steve talked to his comm.</p><p>”I'm up,” came the immediate answer.</p><p>”Can you cut off the floor of the elevator?”</p><p>”Consider it done,” Tony said. Barely a half a minute later they heard how the cropped part fell down through the shaft.</p><p>”Hold him a second,” Steve said to Thor and pulled the elevator doors open manually. He took his previous position again. The shaft continued at least several meters down so they had to step on air at the same Thor flung the hammer upwards. Thank God Bucky had ceased the struggle for the moment, most likely realizing the danger in staying.</p><p>They exited the elevator shaft on the first floor in a pile of limbs, the other Steve helping them out.</p><p>”We have two minutes,” Tony said from a few feet away.</p><p>Most likely seeing how close to freedom they were Bucky started his struggle once again, this time using the confusion of their landing to throw Steve and Thor off and charging off.</p><p>Tony raised his arm and shot him – or shot something at him. Panicked, Steve saw how Bucky stumbled in his steps until after a few steps he fell down.</p><p>”Bucky!” both him and the other Steve yelled.</p><p>”Calm down, it's a sleep dart,” Tony said, his faceplate up.</p><p>Relieved, Steve watched the other Steve go and check on Bucky. He turned to look at Thor who was still sitting on the ground next to him. Both their lips cut, mouths bloody and noses bruised they grinned at each other, thinking the same thing: a sleep dart would have been really useful five minutes ago.</p><p>”Anyway,” Tony continued. ”We need to go and also,” taking in their beat-up faces, ”what the hell went down there?”</p><p> </p><p>They took off in time, this time Thor carrying Bucky's unconscious form alone and Tony taking both Steves with him since that seemed the easiest way. Steve took a hold of the armor from the front while the older man had asymmetrical grip on the other side.</p><p>”I never imagined being the meat in a Captain America sandwich,” Tony commented upon lifting off.</p><p>”I never imagined being the bread in any sandwich,” the older Steve quipped.</p><p>Feeling elated that they had succeeded getting Bucky, the endorphins slowly kicking in after all the excitement and now flying over New Jersey Steve grinned and joked: ”So it's just my dream, then.”</p><p>The other Steve laughed out loud. </p><p>”A sense of humor!” Tony remarked. ”You can be the funny Cap if you want.”</p><p>”Funny Cap?” Steve asked.</p><p>”There's got to be a way to separate you two. Until now the one on my back has been funny Cap, weird Cap or tactile Cap.”</p><p><i>Tactile Cap</i>, the other Steve seemed to mouth to himself.</p><p>Feeling still daring, Steve asked: ”And me?”</p><p>”When I say angry Cap, everybody understands. Sometimes I might call you Cap Cap or sad Cap.”</p><p>Well. Steve supposed it wasn't completely baseless what Tony said, though he supposed his good mood was the main reason he didn't mind that much.</p><p>When they landed on the rooftop of the tower Thor was already there with the still unconscious form of Bucky. Bruce was part of the welcoming committee, as well. They had decided to put Bucky to a Hulk-proof room in Bruce’s floor. Having him basically as a prisoner didn’t sit too well with Steve, but it was too dangerous to let him go, and they certainly hadn’t yet been any signs that Bucky remembered himself at all.</p><p>The older Steve had warned Steve about that, but he had had hope all the same.</p><p> </p><p>Tony and the other Steve had succeeded in copying the data stored in the Zola computer. Combined with what Tony had taken from the Helicarrier they had watertight proof of Hydra’s corruption inside SHIELD.</p><p>”We have to put it all out, and the sooner the better,” the older Steve maintained.</p><p>Tony wasn’t completely sold on the matter. ”There’s stuff there that’s not for the public eye, stuff that’s not strictly Hydra. This could lead to us all being charged with treason.”</p><p>”The only people who should be charged with treason are named in the files.”</p><p>”I’m not disagreeing, but I’m not the one who makes the rules.”</p><p>The other Steve said: ”I understand your concerns, but if we merely hand over the data to a governmental office or release only some parts of it I can guarantee you Hydra will persevere in the shadows we don’t light.”</p><p>”That may be so,” Bruce put in, ”but the fact remains that this country is at war and leaking such an unprecedented amount of government secrets – we must be ready to face the fire if we do this.”</p><p>”This country seems to be always at war, now,” Steve remarked. So maybe he was bitter and disappointed.</p><p>Tony sighed. ”Alright, alright. I get your point. Should we at least wait for Romanoff and Barton before we decide?”</p><p>Steve nodded. ”They do have a say.”</p><p>The other Steve seemed reluctant to have it wait but conceded. It wasn’t his world, so Steve assumed he realized he had the least to lose.</p><p>”Uh,” Bruce voiced. ”There might be a problem with that,” he said and pointed towards the screen where Natasha’s signal flashed red designating distress. When they all turned to look they saw Clint’s signal starting to do the same.</p><p>”I’m assuming they know at least that they lost Barnes and most likely who stole him,” Tony said, eyeing the monitor.</p><p>”We have to do an extraction –  ” Steve started to say when one after the other the red lights went out completely.</p><p>”What does it mean?” Bruce asked, concerned.</p><p>Tony was silent. The older Steve had steel in his voice when he said: ”Hydra is giving us a message. They wouldn’t kill them as retaliation when they know we have Bucky and while they can’t know for sure what else we have.”</p><p>”But they know we raided the base?” Bruce asked.</p><p>The older Steve sighed. ”There’s not much choice, is there? We thought we got the Zola computer cut off before he would have had the chance to recognize us, but of course, we can’t be sure. We only assumed the missile was sent because of an alarm when we broke in and when they couldn’t contact anyone on the base.”</p><p>”We should never have let them go in in the first place,” Tony said. </p><p>Tony was right, Steve knew, but SHIELD had been in such disarray after the alien attack and it would have been suspicious had Natasha and Clint resisted orders. ”They wanted to go,” he reminded Tony.</p><p>Tony glared at him and Steve acquiesced. ”But you’re right, we should have come up with a different plan.”</p><p>”So, what’s next?” Bruce asked.</p><p>”They will probably contact us sooner rather than later and offer a deal,” the other Steve said.</p><p>”And what will we do?” Thor asked.</p><p>”We will go and bring Natasha and Clint back,” Steve said. There simply weren’t two ways about it.</p><p>”They will expect us to be on the offensive,” Tony pointed out.</p><p>Steve nodded. ”They might even count on that: I assume they will try to break into the tower as soon as we are away. They know Bucky is here. And while they probably don’t know how much we know, they must prepare for the worst. So, of course, they will have to try to kill us when they can.”</p><p>”A call from Nick Fury,” Jarvis announced then.</p><p>They all changed a look. ”Wait ten seconds and put him through,” Tony said.</p><p>The older Steve said: ”We have to warn him, but we can’t give Hydra anything they don’t already know.”</p><p>”Nicholas, what’s up?” Tony greeted Fury with a laconic air.</p><p>”Stark. Am I right in assuming you got the whole team in there?” Fury asked.</p><p>Tony nodded. ”All except the murder twins, which you should probably know,” he said.</p><p>”Agent Barton and Romanov have been detained due to a suspicion that they have something to do with an explosion in a SHIELD facility in New Jersey,” Fury said, clearly finding the latest development frustrating. ”You don’t happen to know anything about that?”</p><p>”It wasn’t them that blew it up. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t us, either,” Tony said.</p><p>Fury blinked. ”So you were there?”</p><p>”Maybe. The interesting question is, do you know who else was there?”</p><p>”What’s that’s supposed to mean?”</p><p>Tony shrugged. ”So you didn’t know SHIELD kept Steve’s best friend in ice?”</p><p>”What?”</p><p>”You heard me. Turns out Bucky Barnes is alive and until today storaged by SHIELD in an old military base in New Jersey.”</p><p>Fury seemed genuinely surprised, as was expected. ”Is Rogers there?”</p><p>Steve was about to take a step next to Tony, but the other Steve got there first: ”I’m here,” he said.</p><p>”Is what Stark said true?”</p><p>Older Steve nodded. ”Yes.”</p><p>”It pains me to admit this, but I had no clue about any of this,” Fury said.</p><p>”That’s not a good thing, is it?” The other Steve noted.</p><p>Fury sighed. ”Sometimes with organizations like these you can never be too careful. I don’t necessarily like it, but I can accept that even I don’t know everything.”</p><p>”You know,” the older Steve started, ”I had a grandfather who worked as an elevator operator. He was friendly with people, liked them. He kept his tips in his lunch bag. Alongside the dollar notes, he carried a small revolver. He liked people, but he knew better than to trust them completely. So, I can understand being careful, but imagine if my granddad had been unaware of the gun in the bag? That’d been a disaster waiting to happen.”</p><p>Fury didn’t say anything but looked very intensely at Steve in the lull that followed.</p><p>”O-kay,” Tony finally broke the silence. ”Thank you for that, Mr. Rogers. I’m sure we all learned a valuable life lesson about not trusting your neighbors.”</p><p>”I’ll see what I can do about Romanov and Barton,” Fury said and ended the call.</p><p> </p><p>They hoped that was it: if Hydra somehow believed Bucky was all they got they might release Natasha and Clint.</p><p>Steve was doubtful, but they had the upper hand in that the Hydra didn’t know how much they knew and that the organization, most likely, didn’t expect that they would leak anything out in the open. </p><p>They decided to give Fury until the evening: if there was no word until then they would go there themselves. </p><p>In the meantime, Steve was watching over Bucky. There wasn’t too much to really watch since Bucky wasn’t awake, but Tony had said the effects of the sleep dart should end any moment now.</p><p>It was amazing Bucky was here and alive, but Steve still despaired over the human nature: only yesterday barely seeing Bucky alive – even like this, sleeping on the other side of an unbreakable glass – would have been enough for him, now he was anxious and afraid that Bucky might never remember.</p><p>He heard the door to the room open. He didn’t turn to look who it was. There really weren’t that many options.</p><p>”He would hate the long hair,” Steve said as a greeting.</p><p>The other Steve chuckled. ”You’d be surprised.”</p><p>”Really?” Steve asked.</p><p>”Yeah, never cut it once.”</p><p>”Huh,” Steve voiced his surprise. </p><p>The other man sat next to him on the bench. ”Though I do suspect he uses a lot more conditioner where I’m coming from.”</p><p>”How do we help him?” Steve asked after a silence, desperate for the knowledge but fearful of the answer all the same.</p><p>”Bucky in my time started to remember on his own, but clearing the brainwashing from his head – we had help for that from a very secretive people. I’m not sure how exactly to ask them for help because at the moment they probably have zero interest getting mixed up with us. I’ve thought about maybe trying to make a trade with them. Some of what I know of their nation’s possible future in exchange for their help.”</p><p>Steve sighed. Gave his counterpart a short smile: ”Thank you. I appreciate this. More than I can say.”</p><p>The older Steve hmmed. ”Is there a ’but’?”</p><p>Steve shook his head. ”No, not really. I can’t complain, I know that. Just – makes me feel a bit useless, is all. <i>I</i> failed him. You are saving him.”</p><p>”I’m not exactly a stranger,” the other Steve reminded him. ”If I’m saving him, so are you. I am – ”</p><p>”You’re not,” Steve interrupted. ”You’re not me. Maybe a decade’s not that long, but sometimes it feels like a ravine between us: you’re so much more than me. I’m nothing.” Feeling self-conscious for having said too much, he opted for levity: ”And anyway, I’ve decided I didn’t take my own virginity.”</p><p>The other man burst out laughing, throwing his head all the way back. Then, wiping his eyes from mirth, he asked slyly: ”You don’t give Buck the honor?”</p><p>Steve chuckled. ”I don’t know. Maybe. Though you’ll remember it was all fast and rushed, not like – ”</p><p>”Yeah,” the other man agreed easily. Then: ”Just so you know, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. I hadn’t planned on righting every wrong. You kinda forced my hand at first and then reminded me what’s really at stake here. I realized I can help and that’s in itself reason enough to do it.”</p><p>Steve knew the older man was mostly being nice, but he felt slightly better all the same. ”Thanks. You always know what to say. Almost like you know me,” he joked.</p><p>Amused, the other man said: ”I’ve done my research. Thoroughly.”</p><p>Jeez, Steve thought, almost blushing, this was ridiculous – </p><p>”S-steve?”</p><p>Fast as anything Steve turned to look at Bucky, now sitting up on the bed on the other side of the glass. ”Bucky,” he said, not unlike a prayer.</p><p>Bucky seemed to look between the two of them, wary and confused, then: ”I thought there was only one of you.”</p><p>Heart soaring Steve smiled and stood up. ”Me too, pal.” </p><p>He glanced at his counterpart and saw an identical grin to his own. They still had a lot to do, Natasha and Clint were still practically taken hostage and Hydra was still a major threat, but right then he felt that maybe all would be well.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>